After the rain, the sky cleared, and the deep black night was dotted with bright, clear stars.

The smell of rain dissipated, and under the pale streetlight, Chu Tao could barely make out a few moths fluttering nervously.

He covered his nose and coughed softly, squeezing out a few tears from the irritation of his throath.

He glanced sideways at Jiang She, sneaking a look at him. “Are… are you okay?”

Chu Tao was naturally sensitive, and though Jiang She kept his emotions hidden, Chu Tao could feel the subtle changes.

Jiang She scoffed and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. Shielding the wind with his hand, he flicked the lighter, and the flame wavered before finally catching.

He took a deep drag.

The once mild fruit-flavored smoke now seemed sharper.

Chu Tao had never smoked, but he knew that Jiang She’s brand was different from his dad’s. It wasn’t as harsh and even had a strong fruity scent.

“Let’s go pick up the pants.”

“Huh?” Chu Tao was taken aback.

Jiang She shot him a sideways glance. “What do you mean ‘huh’? We got to the police station for nothing? Nothing’s going our way?”

Chu Tao: “…”

His tone made it sound like they were actually planning to steal something.

Reluctantly, due to Jiang She’s mood, which was impossible to vent despite his apparent indifference, Chu Tao followed him back. They broke open the lock again and retrieved the pants soaked in cola.

The shopkeeper had already put a tag on the waistband with Chu Tao’s name and the date.

Seeing his name on the tag of the pants along with Jiang She’s name on the hem of the pants made it seem rather strange.

Chu Tao deliberately ignored the oddity and neatly folded the pants, making sure they were smooth.

Jiang She flicked his cigarette and frowned. “What are you folding them for? They’re just going to be washed anyway.”

“Force of habit,” Chu Tao replied casually.

Song Mian had always insisted they clean up after themselves since they were young. Because of her busy work schedule and stagnant pay, Song Mian’s temper had never been easy, and even Chu Jiangmin wasn’t spared.

Chutao didn’t want to be scolded, so he was always used to doing things perfectly.

“Do you often fold your own clothes?”

“Otherwise?”

Jiang She, the young master, was different from Chu Tao. Although he hadn’t experienced a warm family atmosphere, Jiang Qifeng and Shen Qing had plenty of money, and the only thing they didn’t spare for him was sugar-coated words.

There were three or four nannies in his household, so he never had to handle his own clothes.

Jiang She inexplicably thought that Chu Tao was quite virtuous.

“Your technique isn’t bad, almost like our nanny’s.”

Chu Tao took a deep breath. “You really know how to use metaphors.”

After folding the pants, Chu Tao grabbed a plastic bag to put them in, locked the door again, checked everything, and finally relaxed.

Once he set the matter aside, he felt his head swelling and his legs growing weak.

His clothes had nearly dried, and though the cold had seeped in, he didn’t feel it much.

He hung the plastic bag on his bike handlebar, tapped the water off the bike seat, and said goodbye to Jiang She.

“Thanks again today. If you want anything, I’ll try to fulfill it, just don’t ask for too much.”

He hadn’t forgotten the debt he owed Jiang She.

After speaking, Chu Tao pushed his bike toward the center of the road, with the streetlights flickering in front of him, their light scattering like shattered glass, making him dizzy.

A sharp honk interrupted his thoughts, and Chu Tao instinctively stopped.

Then he was roughly pulled backward, his bike handlebar slipping from his grip, and his waist lost strength, causing him to crash into someone’s arms.

“Are you trying to die!?”

Jiang She, still shaken, slapped Chu Tao’s hand hard.

The driver cursed as he swerved the steering wheel to avoid Chu Tao’s bike and sped off.

The tires splashed dirty water that almost hit Chu Tao.

Chu Tao was panting heavily, slowly coming to his senses.

But then came Jiang She’s overwhelming scent of pheromones.

His scent mixed with the fruity aroma of cigarettes, like a powerful injection, stabbing into Chu Tao’s skin.

It had been raining for a while, and Jiang She had given him his outerwear. After getting soaked in rain and wind, the pheromone blocker had mostly worn off.

Jiang She hadn’t reapplied it, so now they were almost completely exposed to each other’s scents.

The alpha pheromones clashed, and Chu Tao felt it. Jiang She probably felt it too.

But Chu Tao was physically weak right now, and the pheromone’s intensity was weak, almost like a small fist playfully punching his chest every now and then.

As soon as Chu Tao sensed Jiang She’s pheromones, every pore on his body seemed to open.

He wanted to push Jiang She away but couldn’t move.

Jiang She had a firm grip on his arm, supporting him with the other hand. They were only a few centimeters apart, and Jiang She leaned his head against his, almost brushing his neck.

If an unrelated person had seen them, they would have thought it was some alpha marking an omega.

Thinking about this made Chu Tao shiver, feeling his neck skin almost breathe away from Jiang She’s mouth, his senses sharply attuned to Jiang She’s every movement.

Jiang She’s chest was solid, his skin warm, and the warmth seemed to radiate through Chu Tao’s school uniform into his heart.

Chu Tao realized he was reacting.

He, an alpha, was actually responding to another alpha’s pheromones!

Chu Tao felt his worldviews crumble, and in panic, he bit his tongue, using the pain to clear his head and suppress the strange excitement.

Damn.

Damn, damn, damn!

If he were an omega, he might have begged Jiang She to mark him by now.

Thankfully, alphas weren’t so easily dominated by pheromones. The pain overtook the stimulation, and Little Chu Tao lowered his head in frustration.

Jiang She was oblivious. “Why are you shaking? You’re not sick, are you?”

Chu Tao swallowed, his voice hoarse, “No, I’m fine, I rarely get sick.”

Jiang She felt his waist, and his fingers almost slipped inside Chu Tao’s clothes.

“You’re not warm at all.”

Chu Tao’s waist was slim and flexible, his muscles well-toned. Since he hadn’t eaten, his stomach was still flat, and when he got nervous, his waistline became especially obvious, narrow enough that one hand could probably wrap around it.

It looked like a waist that could handle a lot.

Jiang She’s eyelids trembled, and his grip involuntarily tightened.

Chu Tao’s heart skipped a beat, and he pressed his pale fingers to Jiang She’s wrist. “Can you let go of me now?”

They were still hugging in the middle of the street, cars passing by, near the school. It was really not a good situation.

Jiang She seemed uninterested and slowly loosened his hand from Chu Tao’s body. “We’re both alphas. What are you being conscious for?”

Chu Tao didn’t explain, silently fixing his clothes. “I’ll give you the pants and clothes after I finish washing them. I’m going now, or my mom will worry.”

He got on his bike, leaning into the wind, his body sinking, pushing the pedals toward the hospital.

Jiang She stood still, rubbing his palm as if he could still feel Chu Tao’s waist.

“It’s pretty soft.”

Jiang She muttered to himself.

---

Author’s note: Is “soft” really a reason to touch?